Forestry Statistics 2020 Chapter 2: UK-Grown Timber

Release date: 24 September 2020

Coverage: United Kingdom

Geographical breakdown: Country

Issued by: Forest Research 231 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh, EH12 7AT

Enquiries: Robert Stagg 0300 067 5238 statistics@forestresearch.gov.uk

Statistician: Sheila Ward 0300 067 5236

Website: www.forestresearch.gov.uk/statistics/ Contents

Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 4 Key findings .......................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Wood production .......................................................................................................... 6 2.1.1 Summary: wood production .................................................................................. 7 2.1.2 Origin of private sector softwood removals ......................................................... 9 2.1.3 Origin of FE/FLS/NRW/FS removals ................................................................. 10 2.1.4 Softwood availability forecast ............................................................................. 11 2.1.5 Hardwood availability forecast ........................................................................... 14 2.2 Deliveries of UK-grown roundwood ......................................................................... 16 2.2.1 Softwood deliveries ............................................................................................. 17 2.2.2 Hardwood deliveries ........................................................................................... 19 2.3 Sawmills - All Mills .................................................................................................... 21 2.3.1 Summary: consumption & production ................................................................. 22 2.3.2 Number of sawmills by size ................................................................................ 24 2.3.3 Number of sawmills by country .......................................................................... 25 2.3.4 Number of sawmills by type of wood sawn ....................................................... 26 2.3.5 Consumption of softwood by size of mill ............................................................ 27 2.3.6 Consumption of softwood by mills in each country ............................................ 28 2.3.7 Production of sawn softwood by size of mill ....................................................... 29 2.3.8 Production of sawn softwood by mills in each country ....................................... 30 2.4 Sawmills - Larger Mills .............................................................................................. 31 2.4.1 Softwood consumption and production ............................................................... 32 2.4.2 Source of softwood logs ..................................................................................... 33 2.4.3 Sawn softwood product markets ....................................................................... 35 2.4.4 Other softwood products .................................................................................... 36 2.4.5 Sawmill employment .......................................................................................... 39 2.5 Pulp & paper ............................................................................................................... 41 2.5.1 Inputs for the integrated pulp & paper mills ....................................................... 42 2.5.2 Production of paper ............................................................................................ 44 2.6 Wood-based panels .................................................................................................... 45 2.6.1 Inputs for wood-based panel products ........................................46 2.6.2 Production of wood-based panel products ..................................48 2.7 Miscellaneous products ..................................................................49 Softwood .........................................................................................49 Hardwood .......................................................................................50 2.7.1 Softwood round fencing manufacturers ......................................51 2.7.2 Roundwood purchased by softwood round fencing manufacturers ...52 2.8 Exports ..........................................................................................53 2.9 Certification ...................................................................................54 2.9.1 Volume certified .......................................................................55 2.9.2 Chain of custody certificates ....................................................57 2.10 Woodfuel and pellets .....................................................................58 2.10.1 Recycled wood used for woodfuel ...........................................59 2.10.2 Woodfuel supply by sawmills and round fencing manufacturers ....60 2.10.3 Wood pellets ...........................................................................61 Introduction

This chapter covers the production of timber from woodland and the primary processing of harvested wood to give basic wood products.

Estimates for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are included, in addition to UK totals, where possible.

International comparisons of timber production are available in the International Forestry chapter. Further information on the data sources and methodology used to compile the figures is provided in the Sources chapter.

Timber originating from conifers is known as softwood and that from broadleaves is known as hardwood. Please refer to the Glossary for a definition of other terms used in this chapter.

Figures for 2019 were previously published in "UK Wood Production and Trade: 2019 Provisional Figures", released on 14 May 2020. Some figures have been revised from those previously published. For further details on revisions, see the Timber section of the Sources chapter.

A copy of all UK-grown timber tables can be accessed in spreadsheet format from the Data Downloads web page at www.forestreresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/. Key findings

The main findings for 2019 are (with percentage changes from 2018):

**Removals**(^1) (harvesting) of UK roundwood:

- 9.8 million green tonnes of softwood (-14%);
- 0.9 million green tonnes of hardwood (+4%).

**Deliveries**(^1) of UK roundwood to wood processors and others:

- Total: 11.1 million green tonnes of roundwood (softwood and hardwood) (-3%), of which:
  - Sawmills: 6.0 million green tonnes (-7%);
  - Wood-based panels: 1.3 million green tonnes (+9%);
  - Integrated pulp and paper mills: 0.5 million green tonnes (-5%);
  - Woodfuel: 2.6 million green tonnes (unchanged);
  - Other uses, including round fencing, shavings and exports of roundwood: 0.7 million green tonnes (-3%).

**Production** of wood products in the UK included:

- 3.5 million cubic metres of sawnwood (-6%);
- 3.2 million cubic metres of wood-based panels (+5%);
- 3.9 million tonnes of paper and paperboard (-1%).

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(^1) The difference between total removals and deliveries reported here (around 0.4 million green tonnes in 2019) is likely to reflect a number of factors, including changes in stock levels and the different data sources and methodologies used. 2.1 Wood production

Wood production (also referred to as removals) refers to the harvesting of roundwood (trunk and branch wood) from coniferous (softwood) and non-coniferous (hardwood) trees. Figures are generally expressed here in green tonnes (weight when freshly felled).

Removals should not be confused with deliveries, which are the quantities of UK-grown roundwood that is delivered to processors (mills) or for other uses (such as woodfuel and exports). Deliveries statistics are presented in Tables 2.5 and 2.6. A comparison of removals and deliveries of UK softwood roundwood is provided in the Sources chapter.

The figures on removals of UK roundwood are used to monitor trends in the UK forest sector. The data is also used alongside figures for standing volume (the volume of standing trees) and increment (the growth rate of standing trees) to compile natural capital accounts for inclusion in the UK Environmental Accounts released by the Office for National Statistics.

The data are derived from a number of sources:

- FE/FLS/NRW/FS figures are obtained from Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Natural Resources Wales and Forest Service administrative systems;
- Private sector softwood figures are obtained from the Private Sector Softwood Removals Survey;
- Total hardwood figures are estimated from hardwood deliveries figures, which are compiled from surveys of the UK-grown timber industry, trade associations and expert estimates. 2.1.1 Summary: wood production

It is estimated that a total of 10.7 million green tonnes of roundwood was removed from UK woodlands in 2019.

Softwood accounted for most (92%) removals from UK woodland and totalled 9.8 million green tonnes in 2019 (Table 2.1a). This represented a 14% decrease on the previous year’s figure.

Hardwood removals totalled 0.9 million green tonnes in 2019 (Table 2.1b).

Private sector woodlands accounted for 60% of softwood production and 92% of hardwood production in 2019.

Table 2.1a Softwood production, 2010-2019

| Year | FE/ FLS/ NRW/ FS¹ woodland | Private sector² woodland | Total softwood | |------|-----------------------------|--------------------------|----------------| | 2010 | 4,625 | 4,633 | 9,258 | | 2011 | 4,870 | 5,186 | 10,056 | | 2012 | 4,836 | 5,259 | 10,095 | | 2013 | 5,084 | 5,852 | 10,936 | | 2014 | 4,900 | 6,627 | 11,527 | | 2015 | 4,691 | 5,968 | 10,659 | | 2016 | 5,011 | 5,734 | 10,745 | | 2017 | 4,761 | 6,075 | 10,836 | | 2018 | 4,522 | 6,827 | 11,349 | | 2019 | 3,937 | 5,864 | 9,801 |

Source: Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Natural Resources Wales, Forest Service, industry surveys, industry associations.

Notes:

1. FE: Forestry England, FLS: Forestry and Land Scotland, NRW: Natural Resources Wales, FS: Forest Service (Northern Ireland).
2. Private sector: removals from all other woodland (including some publicly owned woodland).

### Table 2.1b Hardwood production, 2010-2019

| Year | FE/ FLS/ NRW/ FS<sup>1</sup> woodland | Private sector<sup>2</sup> woodland | Total hardwood<sup>3,4</sup> | |------|--------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------| | 2010 | 70 | 464 | 534 | | 2011 | 75 | 465 | 540 | | 2012 | 55 | 478 | 533 | | 2013 | 78 | 453 | 531 | | 2014 | 71 | 465 | 536 | | 2015 | 73 | 492 | 565 | | 2016 | 68 | 528 | 596 | | 2017 | 85 | 652 | 737 | | 2018 | 88 | 746 | 835 | | 2019 | 68 | 801 | 869 |

Source: Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Natural Resources Wales, Forest Service, industry surveys, industry associations.

Notes:

1. FE: Forestry England, FLS: Forestry and Land Scotland, NRW: Natural Resources Wales, FS: Forest Service (Northern Ireland).
2. Private sector: removals from all other woodland (including some publicly owned woodland).
3. Most hardwood production in the UK comes from private sector woodland; the figures are estimates based on reported deliveries to wood processing industries and others.
4. The increase in hardwood removals between 2016 and 2017 is largely attributed to a revised estimate for deliveries of UK grown hardwood used for woodfuel (see Table 2.6). This new estimate should not be interpreted as an increase in a single year.

Data: Longer time series of the above table, including estimates by country (England/ Wales/ Scotland/ Northern Ireland) are available from the Data downloads web page at: [https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/](https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/). 2.1.2 Origin of private sector softwood removals

It is estimated that 70% of all softwood removals from private sector woodlands were harvested in Scotland, 21% in England, 8% in Wales and the remainder in Northern Ireland in 2019 (Table 2.2).

Despite a 14% decrease in private sector softwood removals in the UK in the latest year, the total for 2019 remains higher than the level at the beginning of the decade.

Table 2.2 Private sector softwood removals by country, 2010-2019

| Year | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | UK | |------|---------|-------|----------|-----------------|----| | 2010 | 678 | 427 | 3,471 | 57 | 4,633 | | 2011 | 738 | 501 | 3,894 | 53 | 5,186 | | 2012 | 847 | 611 | 3,761 | 40 | 5,259 | | 2013 | 929 | 695 | 4,205 | 23 | 5,859 | | 2014 | 1,165 | 739 | 4,691 | 33 | 6,627 | | 2015 | 1,052 | 686 | 4,203 | 28 | 5,968 | | 2016 | 1,013 | 643 | 4,043 | 34 | 5,734 | | 2017 | 961 | 783 | 4,295 | 36 | 6,075 | | 2018 | 1,130 | 628 | 5,022 | 47 | 6,827 | | 2019 | 1,221 | 486 | 4,112 | 44 | 5,864 |

Source: Private Sector Softwood Removals Survey

Data: Longer time series of the above table, including estimates for hardwood removals and for removals from FE/FLS/NRW/FS woodlands are available from the Data Downloads web page at: https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/. 2.1.3 Origin of FE/FLS/NRW/FS removals

Information on removals from Forestry England (FE), Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Forest Service (FS) woodlands is obtained from administrative systems.

A total of 3.9 million green tonnes of softwood was removed from FE/FLS/NRW/FS woodlands in 2019, a 13% decrease from the 2018 figure (Table 2.3). This represents the lowest level in the last decade.

Over one half (54%) of FE/FLS/NRW/FS softwood removals in 2019 occurred in Scotland, 23% in England, 13% in Wales and 9% in Northern Ireland.

Table 2.3 FE/FLS/NRW/FS softwood removals by country, 2010-2019

| Year | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | UK | |------|---------|-------|----------|-----------------|----| | 2010 | 1,142 | 644 | 2,434 | 405 | 4,625 | | 2011 | 1,185 | 689 | 2,566 | 430 | 4,870 | | 2012 | 1,154 | 663 | 2,627 | 392 | 4,836 | | 2013 | 1,188 | 693 | 2,819 | 384 | 5,084 | | 2014 | 1,064 | 722 | 2,749 | 365 | 4,900 | | 2015 | 1,023 | 692 | 2,644 | 333 | 4,691 | | 2016 | 1,146 | 778 | 2,745 | 343 | 5,011 | | 2017 | 1,087 | 660 | 2,666 | 349 | 4,761 | | 2018 | 1,048 | 696 | 2,438 | 339 | 4,522 | | 2019 | 905 | 525 | 2,143 | 364 | 3,937 |

Source: Forestry England (FE), Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Forest Service (FS).

Data: Longer time series of the above table, including estimates for hardwood removals and for removals from private sector woodlands are available from the Data Downloads web page at: https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/. 2.1.4 Softwood availability forecast

The National Forest Inventory "50-year forecast of softwood availability" and "50-year forecast of hardwood availability" were published in April 2014. They are forecasts of potential availability rather than production, as they do not take account of management objectives, financial factors or the state of markets, all of which will affect the level of and timing of harvesting.

More information on the forecasts and detailed breakdowns are available on the National Forest Inventory web pages at www.forestreresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/national-forest-inventory/.

The forecasts are outside the scope of National Statistics, but are provided here to give more context to the data on wood production.

As these forecasts were produced in 2014, they do not take into account any of the findings from the ‘preliminary estimates of the changes in canopy cover in British woodlands between 2006 and 2015’, released in August 2016.

The key assumptions underpinning the headline softwood forecast scenario include:

- Private woodland is managed in a way that maximises total production.
- The estate of Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland and Natural Resources Wales is managed according to current management plans; note that Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, and Natural Resources Wales intend to cap production below the level set out in Table 2.4a.

Under the above scenario, softwood availability for Great Britain averages 15.2 million cubic metres a year over the 50-year period 2013 to 2061 (Table 2.4a). The majority (66%) of this softwood is projected to come from private sector woodland. Table 2.4a Softwood availability forecasts

| Annual average in the period | England | Wales | Scotland | GB | |-----------------------------|---------|-------|----------|----| | **FE/FLS/NRW**¹ | | | | | | 2013 - 2016 | 1,632 | 1,082 | 4,220 | 6,933 | | 2017 - 2021 | 1,330 | 991 | 3,658 | 5,980 | | 2022 - 2026 | 1,211 | 895 | 3,516 | 5,622 | | 2027 - 2031 | 1,159 | 778 | 3,789 | 5,726 | | 2032 - 2036 | 1,066 | 934 | 3,215 | 5,216 | | 2037 - 2041 | 1,013 | 794 | 2,936 | 4,744 | | 2042 - 2046 | 1,055 | 531 | 2,730 | 4,316 | | 2047 - 2051 | 1,014 | 585 | 3,280 | 4,879 | | 2052 - 2056 | 828 | 495 | 2,886 | 4,209 | | 2057 - 2061 | 1,250 | 679 | 2,339 | 4,269 | | **Private sector**² | | | | | | 2013 - 2016 | 2,945 | 901 | 5,708 | 9,554 | | 2017 - 2021 | 3,225 | 949 | 6,997 | 11,171 | | 2022 - 2026 | 2,903 | 1,087 | 7,830 | 11,820 | | 2027 - 2031 | 2,986 | 775 | 8,910 | 12,671 | | 2032 - 2036 | 2,850 | 736 | 8,847 | 12,433 | | 2037 - 2041 | 2,224 | 679 | 8,133 | 11,035 | | 2042 - 2046 | 1,848 | 490 | 6,527 | 8,865 | | 2047 - 2051 | 1,523 | 521 | 4,986 | 7,030 | | 2052 - 2056 | 1,431 | 734 | 5,679 | 7,845 | | 2057 - 2061 | 1,603 | 694 | 5,627 | 7,924 | | **Total softwood** | | | | | | 2013 - 2016 | 4,577 | 1,983 | 9,928 | 16,487 | | 2017 - 2021 | 4,555 | 1,940 | 10,656 | 17,151 | | 2022 - 2026 | 4,113 | 1,982 | 11,346 | 17,442 | | 2027 - 2031 | 4,145 | 1,553 | 12,700 | 18,398 | | Year Range | Softwood | Hardwood | Total | Total | |------------|----------|----------|-------|-------| | 2032-2036 | 3,916 | 1,670 | 12,062| 17,649| | 2037-2041 | 3,237 | 1,473 | 11,069| 15,779| | 2042-2046 | 2,903 | 1,021 | 9,257 | 13,181| | 2047-2051 | 2,537 | 1,106 | 8,266 | 11,909| | 2052-2056 | 2,259 | 1,229 | 8,566 | 12,054| | 2057-2061 | 2,853 | 1,373 | 7,966 | 12,193|

Source: National Forest Inventory: 50-year forecast of softwood availability (Forestry Commission, April 2014)³

Notes:

1. The estate of Forestry England (FE), Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is assumed to be managed according to current management plans; note that Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland and Natural Resources Wales intend to cap production below the level set out in Table 2.4a.
2. Private woodland is assumed to be managed in a way that maximises total production.
3. More recent softwood availability forecasts, covering a 25 year period only, are available from the NFI web pages at: [www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/national-forest-inventory/](http://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/national-forest-inventory/).
4. To convert softwood ‘overbark standing’ into green tonnes multiply by 0.818. See the Sources chapter for more details on conversion factors.

These figures are outside the scope of National Statistics. For further information see the Sources chapter. 2.1.5 Hardwood availability forecast

The key assumptions underpinning the headline hardwood forecast scenario include:

- In private woodland, harvesting is limited to areas with evidence of recent thinning activity.
- The estate of Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland and Natural Resources Wales is managed according to current management plans.

Under the above scenario, hardwood availability for Great Britain averages 1.6 million m$^3$ a year over the 50-year period (Table 2.4b). The majority (89%) of this hardwood is projected to come from private sector woodland. If these woodlands were managed to maximise total production, the forecast would be much higher, as illustrated in the full National Forest Inventory report available at [www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/national-forest-inventory/](http://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/national-forest-inventory/).

Table 2.4b Hardwood availability forecasts

| Annual average in the period | England | Wales | Scotland | GB | |-----------------------------|---------|-------|----------|----| | **FE/FLS/NRW**¹ | | | | | | 2013 - 2016 | 126 | 12 | 9 | 147| | 2017 - 2021 | 92 | 11 | 9 | 111| | 2022 - 2026 | 110 | 17 | 10 | 137| | 2027 - 2031 | 86 | 12 | 10 | 108| | 2032 - 2036 | 99 | 14 | 15 | 128| | 2037 - 2041 | 129 | 19 | 24 | 172| | 2042 - 2046 | 189 | 56 | 31 | 276| | 2047 - 2051 | 116 | 19 | 40 | 175| | 2052 - 2056 | 134 | 28 | 45 | 208| | 2057 - 2061 | 146 | 28 | 64 | 237| | **Private sector**² | | | | | | 2013 - 2016 | 122 | 20 | 83 | 225| | 2017 - 2021 | 333 | 46 | 139 | 519| | 2022 - 2026 | 538 | 77 | 193 | 808| | Period | 2027 - 2031 | 2032 - 2036 | 2037 - 2041 | 2042 - 2046 | 2047 - 2051 | 2052 - 2056 | 2057 - 2061 | Total hardwood | |-----------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|----------------| | | 720 | 825 | 1,047 | 1,915 | 1,678 | 1,254 | 645 | 249 | | | 100 | 115 | 153 | 243 | 227 | 198 | 139 | 32 | | | 233 | 262 | 367 | 586 | 675 | 554 | 343 | 92 | | | 1,054 | 1,202 | 1,567 | 2,743 | 2,580 | 2,006 | 1,127 | 373 | | | | | | | | | | 2013 - 2016 | | | | | | | | | | 249 | | | | | | | | | | 32 | | | | | | | | | | 92 | | | | | | | | | | 373 | | | | | | | | | | 2017 - 2021 | | | | | | | | | | 425 | | | | | | | | | | 58 | | | | | | | | | | 148 | | | | | | | | | | 631 | | | | | | | | | | 2022 - 2026 | | | | | | | | | | 648 | | | | | | | | | | 94 | | | | | | | | | | 203 | | | | | | | | | | 945 | | | | | | | | | | 2027 - 2031 | | | | | | | | | | 806 | | | | | | | | | | 112 | | | | | | | | | | 244 | | | | | | | | | | 1,162 | | | | | | | | | | 2032 - 2036 | | | | | | | | | | 923 | | | | | | | | | | 130 | | | | | | | | | | 277 | | | | | | | | | | 1,330 | | | | | | | | | | 2037 - 2041 | | | | | | | | | | 1,176 | | | | | | | | | | 171 | | | | | | | | | | 391 | | | | | | | | | | 1,738 | | | | | | | | | | 2042 - 2046 | | | | | | | | | | 2,104 | | | | | | | | | | 299 | | | | | | | | | | 616 | | | | | | | | | | 3,019 | | | | | | | | | | 2047 - 2051 | | | | | | | | | | 1,795 | | | | | | | | | | 246 | | | | | | | | | | 715 | | | | | | | | | | 2,755 | | | | | | | | | | 2052 - 2056 | | | | | | | | | | 1,388 | | | | | | | | | | 227 | | | | | | | | | | 599 | | | | | | | | | | 2,214 | | | | | | | | | | 2057 - 2061 | | | | | | | | | | 791 | | | | | | | | | | 167 | | | | | | | | | | 406 | | | | | | | | | | 1,364 |

Source: National Forest Inventory: 50-year forecast of hardwood availability (Forestry Commission, April 2014)

Notes:

1. The estate of Forestry England (FE), Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is assumed to be managed according to current management plans.
2. In private woodland, harvesting is assumed to be limited to areas with evidence of recent thinning activity. If these woodlands were managed to maximise total production, the forecast would be much higher, as illustrated in the full National Forest Inventory report available at [www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/national-forest-inventory/](http://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/national-forest-inventory/).
3. To convert hardwood ‘overbark standing’ into green tonnes multiply by 0.900. See the Sources chapter for more details on conversion factors.

These figures are outside the scope of National Statistics. For further information see the Sources chapter. 2.2 Deliveries of UK-grown roundwood

Figures for deliveries relate to the quantity of UK-grown roundwood that is delivered to processors (mills) or for other uses (such as woodfuel and exports). They are expressed in green tonnes (weight when freshly felled). Statistics on roundwood deliveries are used to monitor trends in the supply of, and demand for, UK-grown wood.

Deliveries should not be confused with removals, which are the quantities of roundwood that is harvested from UK woodland. Removals statistics are presented in Tables 2.1 to 2.3. A comparison of removals and deliveries of UK softwood roundwood is provided in the Sources chapter.

The data are derived from a number of sources, including surveys of the UK-grown timber industry, trade associations and expert estimates. 2.2.1 Softwood deliveries

In 2019, deliveries of UK roundwood (softwood and hardwood) totalled 11.1 million green tonnes, a 3% decrease from the previous year (Tables 2.5 and 2.6).

Most UK roundwood deliveries (92%) were softwood and totalled 10.2 million green tonnes in 2019 (Table 2.5). 5.9 million green tonnes (58% of UK softwood deliveries) were used by sawmills, a 7% decrease from the previous year. A further 1.9 million green tonnes were used for wood fuel (unchanged from 2018), 1.3 million green tonnes were used to produce wood-based panels (a 13% increase), 0.5 million green tonnes by integrated pulp and paper mills (a 5% decrease), and 0.6 million green tonnes for other uses, including round fencing, shavings and exports of roundwood (a 7% decrease).

The increase in softwood deliveries for woodfuel in recent years reflects an increase in wood use for heating and energy production in the UK (see the Sources chapter for further information).

Table 2.5 Deliveries of UK-grown softwood, 2010-2019

| Year | Sawmills | Pulp mills | Wood-based panels | Fencing | Wood fuel¹ | Other² | Exports | Total | |------|----------|------------|-------------------|---------|------------|--------|---------|-------| | 2010 | 5,611 | 428 | 1,375 | 349 | 900 | 135 | 467 | 9,265 | | 2011 | 5,855 | 453 | 1,417 | 363 | 900 | 145 | 585 | 9,718 | | 2012 | 6,069 | 461 | 1,269 | 338 | 1,000 | 154 | 535 | 9,826 | | 2013 | 6,403 | 465 | 1,263 | 332 | 1,250 | 191 | 640 | 10,543| | 2014 | 6,721 | 465 | 1,283 | 317 | 1,500 | 176 | 437 | 10,899| | 2015 | 6,164 | 435 | 1,334 | 288 | 1,600 | 164 | 276 | 10,261| | 2016 | 6,507 | 423 | 1,248 | 277 | 1,550 | 178 | 231 | 10,415| | 2017 | 6,571 | 442 | 1,059 | 283 | 1,600 | 170 | 331 | 10,456| | 2018 | 6,322 | 486 | 1,210 | 255 | 1,900 | 174 | 264 | 10,611| | 2019 | 5,883 | 464 | 1,316 | 262 | 1,900 | 183 | 201 | 10,210|

Source: industry surveys, industry associations. Notes:

1. Woodfuel derived from stemwood, includes estimates of roundwood use for biomass energy. The figures are estimated by the Expert Group on Timber and Trade Statistics and make use of woodfuel data reported in the Private Sector Softwood Removals Survey.

2. Includes shavings and poles. Quantities for some uses are estimates by the Expert Group on Timber and Trade Statistics.

Figure 2.1 Deliveries of UK-grown softwood, 1994-2019

Source: industry surveys, industry associations. 2.2.2 Hardwood deliveries

There was a total of 0.9 million green tonnes of UK hardwood deliveries in 2019 (Table 2.6). The majority of UK hardwood deliveries (81% in 2019) were used for woodfuel.

Table 2.6 Deliveries of UK-grown hardwood, 2010-2019

| Year | Sawmills | Pulp mills | Wood-based panels | Woodfuel | Other | Total | |------|----------|------------|-------------------|----------|-------|-------| | 2010 | 74 | 0 | 1 | 400 | 59 | 534 | | 2011 | 80 | 0 | 1 | 400 | 59 | 540 | | 2012 | 74 | 0 | 2 | 400 | 57 | 533 | | 2013 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 400 | 58 | 531 | | 2014 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 400 | 60 | 536 | | 2015 | 75 | 0 | 0 | 400 | 91 | 565 | | 2016 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 400 | 122 | 596 | | 2017 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 600 | 71 | 737 | | 2018 | 67 | 0 | 1 | 700 | 68 | 835 | | 2019 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 700 | 93 | 869 |

Source: industry surveys, industry associations.

Notes:

1. Figures are based on processing industries’ purchases of hardwood grown in the UK and estimates for woodfuel and other uses.
2. Woodfuel reported here is derived from stemwood and includes estimated roundwood use for biomass energy.
3. The apparent increase in woodfuel from 2016 to 2017 reflects a new estimate of the level of hardwood deliveries for woodfuel and should not be interpreted as an increase in a single year.
4. Other includes round fencing and roundwood exports. Figure 2.2 Deliveries of UK-grown hardwood, 1994-2019

Source: industry surveys, industry associations.

Notes:

1. Other includes round fencing and roundwood exports.
2. The apparent increase in woodfuel from 2016 to 2017 reflects a new estimate of the level of hardwood deliveries for woodfuel and should not be interpreted as an increase in a single year. 2.3 Sawmills - All Mills

Data are collected by Forest Research in an annual Sawmill Survey. The following section includes summary results, covering number of mills, consumption and production are available for all mills.

In addition, there are also more detailed figures for larger mills only. The threshold defining larger mills was changed for the collection of 2016 data, from annual sawnwood production of 10 thousand m$^3$ to annual sawnwood production of 25 thousand m$^3$. Further information on this change is provided in the section on Larger Mills within this chapter and in the Sawmill Survey section of the Sources chapter.

Consumption units are given in green tonnes. For production, the units used are m$^3$ sawnwood. For conversion factors between different units, see the Timber section of the Sources chapter. 2.3.1 Summary: consumption & production

In 2019, sawmills in the UK consumed a total of 6.2 million green tonnes of softwood, a 6% decrease from 2018 (Table 2.7a). A further 0.1 million green tonnes of hardwood were consumed by UK sawmills in 2019. Most of the logs, 5.9 million green tonnes softwood and 0.1 million green tonnes hardwood, were grown in the UK.

Despite a drop in the levels of softwood consumption in the UK in the last 2 years, the 2019 figure remains above the level earlier in the decade.

Table 2.7a Consumption by UK sawmills, 2010-2019

| Year | UK grown soft wood | Imported soft wood | Total soft wood | UK grown hardwood | Imported hardwood | Total hardwood | |------|-------------------|-------------------|----------------|-------------------|------------------|---------------| | 2010 | 5,611 | 103 | 5,715 | 74 | 19 | 93 | | 2011 | 5,855 | 125 | 5,980 | 80 | 20 | 100 | | 2012 | 6,069 | 124 | 6,194 | 74 | 17 | 92 | | 2013 | 6,403 | 126 | 6,528 | 73 | 13 | 87 | | 2014 | 6,721 | 159 | 6,880 | 76 | 14 | 90 | | 2015 | 6,164 | 182 | 6,345 | 75 | 14 | 89 | | 2016 | 6,507 | 209 | 6,716 | 74 | 17 | 91 | | 2017 | 6,571 | 267 | 6,837 | 65 | 13 | 79 | | 2018 | 6,322 | 325 | 6,647 | 67 | 13 | 80 | | 2019 | 5,883 | 343 | 6,227 | 76 | 13 | 89 |

Source: Sawmill Survey A total of 3.5 million m$^3$ of sawnwood was produced in the UK in 2019, a 6% decrease from 2018.

In addition to producing sawnwood, sawmills also generate other products. Further information on other products produced by larger mills are provided in Tables 2.18 and 2.18a.

Table 2.7b Sawnwood production by UK sawmills, 2010-2019

| Year | Softwood production | Hardwood production | |------|---------------------|---------------------| | 2010 | 3,050 | 47 | | 2011 | 3,223 | 51 | | 2012 | 3,358 | 48 | | 2013 | 3,532 | 45 | | 2014 | 3,713 | 47 | | 2015 | 3,447 | 46 | | 2016 | 3,621 | 47 | | 2017 | 3,720 | 41 | | 2018 | 3,618 | 41 | | 2019 | 3,410 | 47 |

Source: Sawmill Survey 2.3.2 Number of sawmills by size

A total of 150 sawmills processed UK roundwood in 2019 (Table 2.8). Most mills (83%) produced less than 25 thousand m$^3$ sawnwood (softwood and hardwood) during the year.

Over the past ten years, the number of active sawmills has reduced by 20%. Most of this decrease has occurred in the smallest size categories.

Table 2.8 Number of sawmills by size category of mill, 2010-2019

| Year | < 1 | 1 - \<5 | 5 - \<10 | 10 - \<25 | 25 - \<50 | 50 - \<100 | 100+ | Total | |------|-----|--------|---------|----------|----------|-----------|------|-------| | 2010 | 73 | 51 | 13 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 188 | | 2011 | 70 | 50 | 13 | 23 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 184 | | 2012 | 69 | 48 | 14 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 180 | | 2013 | 67 | 45 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 6 | 13 | 175 | | 2014 | 69 | 40 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 173 | | 2015 | 66 | 42 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 171 | | 2016 | 60 | 41 | 16 | 20 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 166 | | 2017 | 60 | 41 | 13 | 22 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 163 | | 2018 | 60 | 35 | 12 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 155 | | 2019 | 56 | 35 | 13 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 150 |

Source: Sawmill Survey Notes:

1. Categories are based on total sawnwood production (softwood and hardwood), in thousand m$^3$.

Data: Longer time series of the above table are available from the Data Downloads web page at: https://www.forestreresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/ 2.3.3 Number of sawmills by country

Around one half (54%) of the 150 active sawmills in 2019 were in England, around one third (32%) were in Scotland, 8% in Wales and 6% in Northern Ireland (Table 2.9).

Table 2.9 Number of sawmills by country, 2010-2019

| Year | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | UK | |------|---------|-------|----------|------------------|----| | 2010 | 98 | 17 | 64 | 9 | 188| | 2011 | 96 | 16 | 63 | 9 | 184| | 2012 | 95 | 15 | 61 | 9 | 180| | 2013 | 92 | 15 | 59 | 9 | 175| | 2014 | 92 | 15 | 57 | 9 | 173| | 2015 | 92 | 15 | 55 | 9 | 171| | 2016 | 89 | 14 | 54 | 9 | 166| | 2017 | 88 | 13 | 53 | 9 | 163| | 2018 | 83 | 12 | 51 | 9 | 155| | 2019 | 81 | 12 | 48 | 9 | 150|

Source: Sawmill Survey

Data: Longer time series of the above table, and for mills in England by region, are available from the Data downloads web page at www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/. 2.3.4 Number of sawmills by type of wood sawn

Around two thirds (67%) of the 150 active sawmills in 2019 processed softwood only (Table 2.10). A further 27% processed both softwood and hardwood, and the remainder processed only hardwood.

Table 2.10 Number of sawmills by type of wood sawn, 2010-2019

| Year | Softwood only | Hardwood only | Both | Total | |------|---------------|---------------|------|-------| | 2010 | 122 | 10 | 56 | 188 | | 2011 | 120 | 10 | 54 | 184 | | 2012 | 118 | 11 | 51 | 180 | | 2013 | 118 | 11 | 46 | 175 | | 2014 | 115 | 9 | 49 | 173 | | 2015 | 112 | 9 | 50 | 171 | | 2016 | 109 | 9 | 48 | 166 | | 2017 | 109 | 10 | 44 | 163 | | 2018 | 102 | 9 | 44 | 155 | | 2019 | 101 | 8 | 41 | 150 |

Source: Sawmill Survey 2.3.5 Consumption of softwood by size of mill

Despite accounting for only 17% of all sawmills (see Table 2.8), those with total annual sawnwood production of 25 thousand m$^3$ or more accounted for 85% of the total softwood consumed by sawmills in 2019 (Table 2.11).

Table 2.11 Consumption of softwood by size category of mill, 2010-2019

| Year | < 1 | 1 - \<5 | 5 - \<10 | 10 - \<25 | 25 - \<50 | 50 - \<100 | 100 + | Total | |------|-----|--------|---------|----------|----------|-----------|-------|-------| | 2010 | 33 | 184 | 155 | 744 | 537 | 1,373 | 2,689 | 5,715 | | 2011 | 32 | 176 | 156 | 685 | 615 | 830 | 3,486 | 5,980 | | 2012 | 33 | 172 | 184 | 539 | 738 | 1,133 | 3,395 | 6,194 | | 2013 | 36 | 173 | 177 | 476 | 804 | 777 | 4,085 | 6,528 | | 2014 | 36 | 146 | 173 | 486 | 833 | 1,090 | 4,117 | 6,880 | | 2015 | 31 | 156 | 204 | 553 | 795 | 801 | 3,805 | 6,345 | | 2016 | 28 | 142 | 199 | 588 | 372 | 1,117 | 4,270 | 6,716 | | 2017 | 29 | 152 | 152 | 692 | 339 | 1,352 | 4,122 | 6,837 | | 2018 | 32 | 127 | 134 | 626 | 585 | 1,009 | 4,134 | 6,647 | | 2019 | 30 | 127 | 169 | 639 | 550 | 831 | 3,881 | 6,227 |

Source: Sawmill Survey Notes:

1. Categories are based on total sawnwood production (softwood and hardwood), in thousand m$^3$.

Data: Longer time series of the above table are available from the Data downloads web page at: https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/ 2.3.6 Consumption of softwood by mills in each country

Mills in Scotland consumed around one half (48%) of the 6.2 million green tonnes of softwood delivered to UK sawmills in 2019 (Table 2.12). A further 32% was consumed by mills in England, 11% in Northern Ireland and 9% in Wales.

Table 2.12 Consumption of softwood by country, 2010-2019

| Year | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | UK | |------|---------|-------|----------|------------------|----| | 2010 | 1,694 | 583 | 2,909 | 528 | 5,715 | | 2011 | 1,726 | 634 | 3,078 | 543 | 5,980 | | 2012 | 1,821 | 654 | 3,191 | 528 | 6,194 | | 2013 | 1,879 | 702 | 3,416 | 532 | 6,528 | | 2014 | 1,982 | 711 | 3,657 | 530 | 6,880 | | 2015 | 1,917 | 655 | 3,243 | 531 | 6,345 | | 2016 | 1,984 | 737 | 3,437 | 558 | 6,716 | | 2017 | 2,089 | 691 | 3,475 | 583 | 6,837 | | 2018 | 2,030 | 648 | 3,329 | 640 | 6,647 | | 2019 | 1,993 | 561 | 2,994 | 678 | 6,227 |

Source: Sawmill Survey

Data: Longer time series of the above table, and for mills in England by region, are available from the Data downloads web page at: https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/ 2.3.7 Production of sawn softwood by size of mill

UK sawmills produced a total of 3.4 million m$^3$ of sawn softwood in 2019, a 6% decrease from the 2018 figure (Table 2.13).

Sawmills with total annual sawnwood production of 25 thousand m$^3$ or more accounted for 85% of the total sawn softwood produced by sawmills in 2019.

Table 2.13 Production of sawn softwood by size of mill, 2010-2019

| Year | < 1 | 1 - \<5 | 5 - \<10 | 10 - \<25 | 25 - \<50 | 50 - \<100 | 100 + | Total | |------|-----|--------|---------|----------|----------|-----------|-------|-------| | 2010 | 19 | 105 | 84 | 395 | 304 | 693 | 1,450 | 3,050 | | 2011 | 18 | 101 | 86 | 374 | 335 | 443 | 1,867 | 3,223 | | 2012 | 18 | 100 | 95 | 314 | 393 | 564 | 1,874 | 3,358 | | 2013 | 20 | 100 | 93 | 287 | 429 | 404 | 2,200 | 3,532 | | 2014 | 20 | 84 | 91 | 282 | 448 | 563 | 2,224 | 3,713 | | 2015 | 18 | 90 | 111 | 296 | 466 | 422 | 2,045 | 3,447 | | 2016 | 17 | 82 | 106 | 338 | 186 | 597 | 2,296 | 3,621 | | 2017 | 17 | 88 | 77 | 384 | 178 | 647 | 2,328 | 3,720 | | 2018 | 19 | 73 | 65 | 355 | 311 | 468 | 2,327 | 3,618 | | 2019 | 18 | 72 | 80 | 349 | 306 | 382 | 2,203 | 3,410 |

Source: Sawmill Survey Notes:

1. Categories are based on total sawnwood production (softwood and hardwood), in thousand m$^3$.

Data: Longer time series of the above table, are available from the Data downloads web page at: [https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/](https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/) 2.3.8 Production of sawn softwood by mills in each country

1.7 million m$^3$ (49%) of sawn softwood was produced by sawmills in Scotland in 2019 (Table 2.14). A further 33% was produced by mills in England, 10% in Northern Ireland and the remaining 8% in Wales.

Table 2.14 Production of sawn softwood by country, 2010-2019

| Year | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | UK | |------|---------|-------|----------|------------------|----| | 2010 | 927 | 291 | 1,556 | 275 | 3,050 | | 2011 | 954 | 316 | 1,663 | 291 | 3,223 | | 2012 | 1,001 | 326 | 1,743 | 288 | 3,358 | | 2013 | 1,026 | 349 | 1,869 | 289 | 3,532 | | 2014 | 1,091 | 354 | 1,981 | 286 | 3,713 | | 2015 | 1,056 | 324 | 1,783 | 284 | 3,447 | | 2016 | 1,093 | 366 | 1,867 | 294 | 3,621 | | 2017 | 1,159 | 319 | 1,917 | 326 | 3,720 | | 2018 | 1,122 | 308 | 1,837 | 351 | 3,618 | | 2019 | 1,108 | 266 | 1,684 | 351 | 3,410 |

Source: Sawmill Survey

Data: Longer time series of the above table, and for mills in England by region, are available from the Data downloads web page at: https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/ 2.4 Sawmills - Larger Mills

The following, more detailed, tables are available for larger mills (those producing at least 25 thousand m$^3$ sawnwood annually) only.

These larger mills are estimated to account for 85% of all sawn softwood produced in 2019 (see Table 2.13).

The threshold for inclusion in the more detailed survey of larger sawmills was raised from 10 thousand m$^3$ sawnwood production to 25 thousand m$^3$ sawnwood production in 2016. In order to provide consistent time series, data presented in this section for 2015 is also restricted to sawmills that produced at least 25 thousand m$^3$ sawnwood.

The tables cover the following topics:

- Source of softwood logs;
- Sawn softwood product markets;
- Other softwood products; and
- Sawmill employment. 2.4.1 Softwood consumption and production

Total softwood consumption by the 26 sawmills covered by the detailed sawmill survey in 2019 was 5.3 million green tonnes (Table 2.15). Sawn softwood production by these mills was 2.9 million m$^3$ and other softwood products (chips, bark, sawdust, etc) amounted to 2.5 million tonnes.

Sawmills in Scotland accounted for around one half (48%) of all softwood consumption by larger mills. A further 31% was consumed by mills in England, 12% in Northern Ireland and the remaining 8% in Wales.

Table 2.15 Larger mills$^1$, 2019: softwood consumption and production

| Large mills | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | UK | |----------------------|---------|-------|----------|------------------|-----| | Number of mills | 10 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 26 | | Consumption (thousand green tonnes) | 1,652 | 434 | 2,538 | 638 | 5,262 | | Sawnwood production (thousand m$^3$) | 928 | 198 | 1,435 | 329 | 2,891 | | Other products (thousand tonnes) | 573 | 239 | 1,331 | 332 | 2,476 |

Source: Sawmill Survey (detailed) Notes:

1. Sawmills producing at least 25 thousand m$^3$ sawnwood (softwood and hardwood). 2.4.2 Source of softwood logs

Of all softwood sawlogs consumed by larger sawmills in 2019, 54% came from Scotland, 21% from England, 13% from Wales and 6% from Northern Ireland (Tables 2.16 and 2.16a). The remaining 7% were imported from other countries. The proportion of softwood sawlogs from Scotland has declined over the last 5 years, whilst the proportion of imported logs has increased.

96% of softwood sawlogs used by Scottish mills in 2019 came from Scotland. The corresponding proportions of mills' log use coming from within the same country were 60% for England, 72% for Wales and 46% for Northern Ireland.

Table 2.16 Larger mills(^1), 2019: source of softwood logs

| Source | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | UK | |-----------------|---------|-------|----------|------------------|-------| | England | 989 | 30 | 94 | 0 | 1,113 | | Wales | 358 | 315 | 0 | 0 | 673 | | Scotland | 305 | 78 | 2,444 | 12 | 2,839 | | Northern Ireland| 0 | 0 | 0 | 294 | 294 | | **Total UK logs** | **1,652** | **423** | **2,538** | **306** | **4,919** | | Other countries | 0 | 12 | 0 | 332 | 343 | | **Total log consumption** | **1,652** | **434** | **2,538** | **638** | **5,262** |

Source: Sawmill Survey (detailed)

Notes:

1. Sawmills producing at least 25 thousand m(^3) sawnwood (softwood and hardwood). Table 2.16a Larger mills(^1), 2015-2019: source of softwood logs per cent of total softwood consumption

| Year | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | Other countries | Total | |------|---------|-------|----------|------------------|----------------|-------| | 2015 | 19 | 13 | 60 | 4 | 3 | 100 | | 2016 | 20 | 14 | 59 | 5 | 4 | 100 | | 2017 | 20 | 14 | 57 | 4 | 5 | 100 | | 2018 | 20 | 13 | 57 | 5 | 6 | 100 | | 2019 | 21 | 13 | 54 | 6 | 7 | 100 |

Source: Sawmill Survey (detailed)

Notes:

1. Sawmills producing at least 25 thousand m(^3) sawnwood (softwood and hardwood). 2.4.3 Sawn softwood product markets

In 2019, 37% of sawn softwood produced by larger sawmills was used for fencing, 30% for construction, 26% for packaging and pallets, and the remaining 7% went to all other markets (Tables 2.17 and 2.17a).

Table 2.17 Larger mills(^1), 2019 sawn softwood product markets

| Product market | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | UK | |----------------------|---------|-------|----------|------------------|----| | Construction | 19 | 16 | 40 | 29 | 30 | | Fencing | 53 | 30 | 27 | 36 | 37 | | Packaging/ pallets | 24 | 45 | 24 | 26 | 26 | | Other | 4 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | | **Total** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** | **100** |

Source: Sawmill Survey (detailed) Notes:

1. Sawmills producing at least 25 thousand m(^3) sawnwood (softwood and hardwood).

Table 2.17a Larger mills(^1), 2015-2019: sawn softwood product markets

| Year | Construction | Fencing | Packaging/ pallets | Other | Total | |------|--------------|---------|--------------------|-------|-------| | 2015 | 27 | 36 | 30 | 6 | 100 | | 2016 | 28 | 35 | 30 | 7 | 100 | | 2017 | 32 | 36 | 24 | 8 | 100 | | 2018 | 33 | 36 | 24 | 7 | 100 | | 2019 | 30 | 37 | 26 | 7 | 100 |

Source: Sawmill Survey (detailed) Notes:

1. Sawmills producing at least 25 thousand m(^3) sawnwood (softwood and hardwood). 2.4.4 Other softwood products

Sawmills were asked to estimate the quantity of other products (excluding sawnwood) that they generated from softwood and sold to different industries. The figures presented below are based on these estimates.

Other softwood products amounted to 2.5 million tonnes in 2019 (Table 2.15). Around one third (36%) of other softwood products were sold to wood processing industries in the form of chips and 17% were sold to these industries in sawdust and other formats (Table 2.18). A further 20% of other products were sold to bio-energy (including pellet manufacturers), 19% were sold to others and 8% were used internally for heat or energy. Table 2.18 Larger mills(^1), 2019: other softwood products

| Destination and type of product(^2) | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | UK | |--------------------------------------|---------|-------|----------|------------------|----| | **Sold to wood processing industries** | | | | | | | Wood chips | 46 | 60 | 37 | 0 | 36 | | Bark | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Sawdust & other | 21 | 24 | 18 | 0 | 17 | | **Total** | 67 | 84 | 54 | 0 | 53 | | **Sold to bio-energy** (incl pellet manufacturers) | | | | | | | Wood chips | 11 | 4 | 17 | 18 | 15 | | Bark | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Sawdust & other | 0 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 5 | | **Total** | 12 | 4 | 22 | 36 | 20 | | **Other sales** | | | | | | | Wood chips | 3 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 7 | | Bark | 9 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 9 | | Sawdust & other | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | | **Total** | 16 | 11 | 19 | 34 | 19 | | **Internal use for heat/energy** | | | | | | | Wood chips | 4 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 7 | | Bark | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | Sawdust & other | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | | **Total** | 5 | 1 | 5 | 31 | 8 |

Source: Sawmill Survey (detailed)

Notes:

1. Sawmills producing at least 25 thousand m(^3) sawnwood (softwood and hardwood). The proportions of other products that were reported as sold to wood processing industries have shown an overall reduction over the last five years (Table 2.18a).

Table 2.18a Larger mills(^1), 2015-2019: other softwood products by destination

| Year | Sold to wood processing industries | Sold to bio-energy (incl pellet manufacturers) | Other sales | Internal use for heat/energy | Total(^2) | |------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-------------|-----------------------------|------------| | 2015 | 60 | 21 | 17 | 2 | 100 | | 2016 | 58 | 21 | 19 | 2 | 100 | | 2017 | 56 | 22 | 19 | 3 | 100 | | 2018 | 46 | 24 | 25 | 5 | 100 | | 2019 | 53 | 20 | 19 | 8 | 100 |

Source: Sawmill Survey (detailed)

Notes:

1. Sawmills producing at least 25 thousand m(^3) sawnwood (softwood and hardwood).
2. Total includes sales of firewood and other products disposed of as waste. 2.4.5 Sawmill employment

There were estimated to be 2.7 thousand full-time equivalent staff employed directly by sawmills producing at least 25 thousand m$^3$ of sawnwood in 2019 (Tables 2.19 and 2.19a).

Table 2.19 Larger mills$^1$, 2019: sawmill employment

| Employment type | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland | UK | |--------------------------------------|---------|-------|----------|------------------|-------| | | | | | | | | **Direct** | | | | | | | Line & production workers | 777 | 152 | 1,039 | 252 | 2,220 | | Managerial & administrative staff | 166 | 15 | 113 | 101 | 395 | | Haulage of logs to the mill | 58 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 76 | | **Total direct employment** | 1,001 | 167 | 1,168 | 355 | 2,691 | | **Others$^2$** | | | | | | | Line & production workers | 20 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 76 | | Managerial & administrative staff | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | **Total contract employment** | 20 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 76 |

Source: Sawmill Survey (detailed)

Notes:

1. Sawmills producing at least 25 thousand m$^3$ sawnwood (softwood and hardwood).
2. ‘Others’ refers to others undertaking work for the sawmill, including contractors and their employees.
3. The results exclude any employment on harvesting, and any employment at the site not directly related to the sawmill (e.g. exclude work producing pallets or other wood products from sawn wood).
4. Excludes haulage employment on contract. Table 2.19a Larger mills(^1), 2015-2019: sawmill employment

| Employment | Line & production workers | Managerial & administrative staff | Haulage of logs to the mill | Total employment | |------------|---------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------|------------------| | Direct | | | | | | 2015 | 2,341 | 394 | 44 | 2,779 | | 2016 | 2,456 | 384 | 45 | 2,885 | | 2017 | 2,369 | 428 | 79 | 2,875 | | 2018 | 2,368 | 416 | 75 | 2,859 | | 2019 | 2,220 | 395 | 76 | 2,691 | | Others(^2) | | | | | | 2015 | 58 | 0 | .. | 58 | | 2016 | 50 | 2 | .. | 52 | | 2017 | 76 | 3 | .. | 79 | | 2018 | 50 | 0 | .. | 50 | | 2019 | 76 | 0 | .. | 76 |

Source: Sawmill Survey (detailed)

Notes:

1. Sawmills producing at least 25 thousand m(^3) sawnwood (softwood and hardwood).
2. Excludes haulage employment on contract.
3. .. Denotes data not available. 2.5 Pulp & paper

Statistics on inputs to the pulp & paper industry only cover the integrated pulp & paper mills in the UK that use UK roundwood. There were four such mills until 2003, three from 2004 and two from spring 2006. Figures on inputs are provided by the Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor).

Figures on production of pulp and paper are provided by the Confederation of Paper Industries, and cover all paper production in the UK, not just from mills using UK roundwood. 2.5.1 Inputs for the integrated pulp & paper mills

The integrated pulp & paper mills in the UK consumed a total of 0.5 million tonnes of material (all softwood) in 2019, a 3% decrease from the 2018 total (Table 2.20).

UK roundwood represented 88% of the inputs for the integrated pulp & paper mills in 2019, with the remaining 12% coming from sawmill products.

Table 2.20 Inputs for the integrated pulp & paper mills(^1), 2010-2019

| Year | UK roundwood(^2) | Sawmill products | Total | |------|-------------------|------------------|-------| | 2010 | 428 | 98 | 526 | | 2011 | 453 | 99 | 552 | | 2012 | 461 | 79 | 540 | | 2013 | 465 | 83 | 548 | | 2014 | 465 | 97 | 562 | | 2015 | 435 | 101 | 536 | | 2016 | 423 | 82 | 505 | | 2017 | 442 | 61 | 503 | | 2018 | 486 | 55 | 541 | | 2019 | 464 | 61 | 525 |

Source: Confor

Notes:

1. Excludes inputs of recycled paper and cardboard. All inputs are softwood.
2. UK roundwood derived from stemwood. Figure 2.3 Inputs to integrated pulp and paper mills

Source: Confor 2.5.2 Production of paper

Figures for the production of paper (Table 2.21) are provided by the Confederation of Paper Industries. They cover all paper production from UK mills, not just those using UK roundwood. Most UK paper production uses recovered waste paper or imported pulp.

A total of 3.9 million tonnes of paper and paperboard was produced in the UK in 2019, a decrease of 1% from the previous year. Packaging materials accounted for 49% of the total UK paper production in 2019, graphic papers (including newsprint) for 24%, and sanitary and household papers for 20%.

Table 2.21 Production of paper and paperboard, 2010-2019

| Year | Graphic papers (incl newsprint) | Sanitary & household papers | Packaging materials | Other | Total paper & paperboard | |------|---------------------------------|-----------------------------|---------------------|-------|-------------------------| | 2010 | 1,637 | 729 | 1,640 | 294 | 4,300 | | 2011 | 1,669 | 766 | 1,600 | 307 | 4,342 | | 2012 | 1,616 | 795 | 1,798 | 271 | 4,480 | | 2013 | 1,636 | 802 | 1,851 | 272 | 4,561 | | 2014 | 1,544 | 768 | 1,801 | 284 | 4,397 | | 2015 | 1,053 | 772 | 1,894 | 251 | 3,970 | | 2016 | 897 | 730 | 1,800 | 250 | 3,677 | | 2017 | 918 | 734 | 1,935 | 270 | 3,858 | | 2018 | 962 | 738 | 1,904 | 291 | 3,894 | | 2019 | 918 | 762 | 1,884 | 287 | 3,851 |

Source: Confederation of Paper Industries 2.6 Wood-based panels

Wood-based panels include oriented strand board (OSB), wood chipboard and cement bonded particleboard (which are all types of particleboard), and medium density fibreboard (MDF) and other fibreboard (which are both types of fibreboard).

Statistics on wood-based panels are provided by the Wood Panel Industries Federation (WPIF). 2.6.1 Inputs for wood-based panel products

Table 2.22 and Figure 2.4 provide statistics on the inputs to mills that produce wood-based panels in the UK. The mills used a total of 3.9 million tonnes of material in 2019, representing a 3% increase from 2018. The inputs in 2019 comprised 1.3 million green tonnes of roundwood (34%), 1.5 million green tonnes of sawmill products (38%), 1.0 million tonnes of recycled wood fibre (25%) and 0.1 million tonnes of imports (3%).

Table 2.22 Softwood inputs to wood-based panel mills, 2010-2019

| Year | UK roundwood(^1) softwood | UK roundwood(^1) hardwood | Sawmill products | Imports(^2) softwood | Imports(^2) hardwood | Recycled wood fibre(^3,4) | |------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|------------------|------------------------|------------------------|--------------------------| | 2010 | 1,375 | 1 | 1,631 | 7 | 2 | 1,120 | | 2011 | 1,417 | 1 | 1,779 | 0 | 1 | 952 | | 2012 | 1,269 | 2 | 1,851 | 0 | 2 | 909 | | 2013 | 1,263 | 0 | 1,709 | 0 | 0 | 853 | | 2014 | 1,283 | 0 | 1,809 | 0 | 0 | 812 | | 2015 | 1,334 | 0 | 1,687 | 12 | 5 | 852 | | 2016 | 1,248 | 0 | 1,749 | 10 | 29 | 838 | | 2017 | 1,059 | 0 | 1,726 | 0 | 22 | 923 | | 2018 | 1,210 | 1 | 1,566 | 30 | 75 | 877 | | 2019 | 1,316 | 0 | 1,468 | 43 | 78 | 984 |

Source: Wood Panel Industries Federation

Notes:

1. UK roundwood derived from stemwood.
2. Imports include roundwood, wood products and products from imported wood.
3. Recycled wood fibre is wood fibre recovered from both pre- and post-consumer wood waste for use in wood-based panel production. It comprises wood originally grown in the UK and wood originally grown in forests outside the UK.
4. Quantities are as delivered, with an assumed average moisture content of 25%. To convert to green tonnes (assuming moisture content of 52%), multiply by 1.56. Figure 2.4 Inputs to wood-based panel mills

Source: Wood Panel Industries Federation.

Note:

1. Recycled wood fibre data not available before 1999. 2.6.2 Production of wood-based panel products

Total production of wood-based panels in 2019 was 3.2 million m$^3$, a 5% increase from 2018 (Table 2.23). Over three quarters (77%) of wood-based panel products produced in the UK in 2019 were particleboard (including oriented strand board (OSB)).

The marked decrease between 2011 and 2012 largely results from the closure of a panel mill in 2012.

Table 2.23 Wood-based panel production, 2010-2019

| Year | Particleboard$^1$ | Fibreboard$^2$ | Total | |------|-------------------|----------------|-------| | 2010 | 2,594 | 776 | 3,370 | | 2011 | 2,625 | 759 | 3,384 | | 2012 | 2,215 | 788 | 3,003 | | 2013 | 2,276 | 756 | 3,032 | | 2014 | 2,319 | 749 | 3,068 | | 2015 | 2,324 | 756 | 3,080 | | 2016 | 2,349 | 684 | 3,033 | | 2017 | 2,501 | 675 | 3,176 | | 2018 | 2,355 | 724 | 3,079 | | 2019 | 2,495 | 751 | 3,246 |

Source: Wood Panel Industries Federation

Notes:

1. Includes Oriented Strand Board (OSB).
2. Includes Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF).
3. Changes in the mix of materials used and type of product produced can result in apparent discrepancies between the trends for inputs (Table 2.22) and production. 2.7 Miscellaneous products

Softwood

Data for softwood fencing are obtained from the Survey of Round Fencing Manufacturers. Figures for other uses are reported by manufacturers or are estimated by representatives of the wood processing industries.

1.9 million green tonnes of UK softwood were estimated to have been used directly for woodfuel (including biomass energy) in 2019, unchanged from the level in the previous year (Table 2.24). A further 262 thousand green tonnes of UK softwood were consumed by round fencing manufacturers and 183 thousand green tonnes for other uses in 2019.

Table 2.24 Miscellaneous uses of UK softwood roundwood, 2010-2019

| Year | Fencing | Woodfuel¹ | Other² | Total | |------|---------|-----------|--------|-------| | 2010 | 349 | 900 | 135 | 1,384 | | 2011 | 363 | 900 | 145 | 1,408 | | 2012 | 338 | 1,000 | 154 | 1,492 | | 2013 | 332 | 1,250 | 191 | 1,773 | | 2014 | 317 | 1,500 | 176 | 1,992 | | 2015 | 288 | 1,600 | 164 | 2,052 | | 2016 | 277 | 1,550 | 178 | 2,006 | | 2017 | 283 | 1,600 | 170 | 2,053 | | 2018 | 255 | 1,900 | 174 | 2,329 | | 2019 | 262 | 1,900 | 183 | 2,346 |

Source: Survey of Round Fencing Manufacturers, industry associations.

Notes:

1. Woodfuel derived from stemwood. Includes estimates of roundwood use for biomass energy. The figures are estimated by the Expert Group on Timber and Trade Statistics and make use of woodfuel data reported in the Private Sector Softwood Removals Survey.
2. Includes shavings and poles. Quantities for some uses are estimates by the Expert Group on Timber and Trade Statistics. Hardwood

An estimated 700 thousand green tonnes of UK hardwood were used for woodfuel (including biomass energy) in 2019. A further 30 thousand green tonnes were estimated to have been consumed by round fencing manufacturers and 63 thousand green tonnes for other uses, including exports. 2.7.1 Softwood round fencing manufacturers

There were 46 active round fencing manufacturers in 2019 (Table 2.25).

Around two thirds of round fencing manufacturers (65%) consumed less than 5 thousand green tonnes of softwood annually.

Table 2.25 Number of softwood round fencing manufacturers by size category(^1), 2010-2019

| Year | < 1 | 1 - \<5 | 5 - \<10 | 10 + | Total | |------|-----|--------|---------|------|-------| | 2010 | 21 | 24 | 13 | 6 | 64 | | 2011 | 21 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 63 | | 2012 | 21 | 21 | 11 | 7 | 60 | | 2013 | 20 | 22 | 11 | 7 | 60 | | 2014 | 18 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 56 | | 2015 | 15 | 19 | 10 | 6 | 50 | | 2016 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 6 | 50 | | 2017 | 16 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 49 | | 2018 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 46 | | 2019 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 46 |

Source: Survey of Round Fencing Manufacturers

Notes:

1. Categories are based on total softwood consumption, in thousand green tonnes.

Data: Longer time series of the number of softwood round fencing manufacturers, by size category and by country (England/ Wales/ Scotland/ Northern Ireland) are available from the Data downloads web page at: [https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/](https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/). 2.7.2 Roundwood purchased by softwood round fencing manufacturers

A total of 288 thousand green tonnes of softwood (UK grown and imported) was purchased by softwood fencing manufacturers in 2019 (Table 2.26). This represents an increase of 4% from the 2018 total of 276 thousand green tonnes.

Table 2.26 Total roundwood purchased(^2) by size category(^1) of softwood round fencing manufacturers, 2010-2019

| Year | < 1 | 1 - \<5 | 5 - \<10 | 10+ | Total | |------|-----|--------|---------|-----|-------| | 2010 | 7 | 63 | 86 | 213 | 369 | | 2011 | 8 | 65 | 60 | 250 | 383 | | 2012 | 8 | 57 | 69 | 226 | 360 | | 2013 | 7 | 57 | 79 | 204 | 346 | | 2014 | 7 | 54 | 74 | 201 | 335 | | 2015 | 6 | 46 | 79 | 185 | 316 | | 2016 | 7 | 41 | 78 | 177 | 303 | | 2017 | 6 | 45 | 71 | 185 | 307 | | 2018 | 6 | 37 | 71 | 162 | 276 | | 2019 | 6 | 40 | 76 | 166 | 288 |

Source: Survey of Round Fencing Manufacturers

Notes:

1. Categories are based on total softwood consumption, in thousand green tonnes.
2. This table includes purchases of both UK grown and imported softwood, whereas table 2.24 relates to UK grown softwood only.

Data: Longer time series of roundwood purchased by round fencing manufacturers, by size category and by country (England/ Wales/ Scotland/ Northern Ireland) are available from the Data downloads web page at: [https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/](https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/statistics/data-downloads/). 2.8 Exports

UK softwood exports in 2019 consisted of 154 thousand green tonnes of sawlogs and 46 thousand green tonnes of industrial roundwood (excluding sawlogs), giving a total of 201 thousand green tonnes of roundwood (Table 2.27). The quantity of softwood roundwood exports decreased by 24% between 2018 and 2019.

The UK also exported 109 thousand tonnes of softwood chips in 2019, a 3% decrease from the previous year.

Table 2.27 Summary of softwood exports, 2010-2019

| Year | Industrial roundwood(^1) | Sawlogs | Total roundwood | Chips | |------|--------------------------|---------|----------------|-------| | 2010 | 301 | 166 | 467 | 136 | | 2011 | 415 | 171 | 585 | 158 | | 2012 | 405 | 130 | 535 | 142 | | 2013 | 379 | 260 | 640 | 126 | | 2014 | 228 | 209 | 437 | 151 | | 2015 | 75 | 202 | 276 | 86 | | 2016 | 48 | 183 | 231 | 51 | | 2017 | 124 | 207 | 331 | 92 | | 2018 | 67 | 197 | 264 | 112 | | 2019 | 46 | 154 | 201 | 109 |

Source: industry associations Notes:

1. Includes all roundwood other than sawlogs. 2.9 Certification

Forest certification assesses forest management practices against an agreed standard and awards a label to those forest products that meet the standard. In order for products to achieve certification, both forest management practices and the Chain of Custody, which tracks timber from forest to retail outlet, must be assessed.

The following tables provide information on the level of certified wood produced in the UK (Table 2.28) and the number of sawmills and round fencing manufacturers holding Chain of Custody certificates (Table 2.29).

Estimates of the certified softwood removals in the UK by country, are also provided (Table 2.28a). As these figures are relatively new and the quality of data at this level is still improving, these estimates are currently labelled as experimental statistics.

Information on areas of certified woodland is provided in Chapter 1. 2.9.1 Volume certified

70% of private sector softwood removals in 2019 were from certified woodlands (Table 2.28). The percentage of private sector softwood removals that are certified has fluctuated over recent years; industry experts have indicated a general reduction in the level of certification amongst smaller estates and an increase in production from larger estates.

As nearly all removals from Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Natural Resources Wales and Forest Service woodland are certified, this equates to around 82% of all softwood removals in 2019 from certified sources.

77% of sawmills' roundwood consumption in 2019 was certified. For round fencing manufacturers, 69% of total softwood consumption was certified.

Table 2.28 Per cent of volume certified, 2010-2019

| Year | Softwood removals from private sector woodland | Total softwood removals¹ | Consumption (softwood and hardwood) by sawmills | Consumption (softwood) by round fencing manufacturers | |------|-----------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------| | 2010 | 73 | 87 | 83 | 62 | | 2011 | 72 | 85 | 80 | 61 | | 2012 | 70 | 84 | 81 | 60 | | 2013 | 76 | 87 | 83 | 55 | | 2014 | 72 | 84 | 80 | 69 | | 2015 | 69 | 83 | 80 | 71 | | 2016 | 66 | 82 | 81 | 70 | | 2017 | 75 | 86 | 79 | 71 | | 2018 | 71 | 82 | 78 | 61 | | 2019 | 70 | 82 | 77 | 69 |

Source: Forestry England (FE), Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Forest Service (FS) and industry surveys

Notes:

1. Includes all removals from FE/FLS/NRW/FS woodland. Experimental statistics providing a country breakdown of softwood removals from certified woodlands in 2019 indicate that 91% of softwood removals from woodlands in Northern Ireland were certified, 87% from Wales, 86% from Scotland and 70% from England.

Table 2.28a Per cent of volume certified by country(^1): softwood removals, 2019

| Country | Softwood removals from Private sector woodland | Total softwood removals(^2) | |--------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------| | England | 48 | 70 | | Wales | 73 | 87 | | Scotland | 78 | 86 | | Northern Ireland | 17 | 91 | | UK | 70 | 82 |

Source: Forestry England (FE), Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Forest Service (FS) and industry surveys

Notes:

1. These figures are currently experimental statistics.
2. Includes all removals from FE/FLS/NRW/FS woodland. 2.9.2 Chain of custody certificates

Sawmills and round fencing manufacturers were also asked whether they held a Chain of Custody certificate. 71% of sawmills for which the certification status was known held a Chain of Custody certificate in 2019 (Table 2.29). This proportion varied with size of mill, from 20% for mills producing less than 5 thousand m$^3$ sawnwood to 100% for those producing 25 thousand m$^3$ sawnwood or more. Around two thirds (69%) of round fencing manufacturers for which the certification status was known held a Chain of Custody certificate.

Table 2.29 Chain of custody certificates, 2019

| Mills | Mills holding certificate | Mills without certificate | Certification status not known | Total$^1$ | |-------|---------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------------|-----------| | Sawmills$^2$ (size of mill$^3$) | | | | | | < 5 | 4 | 16 | 71 | 91 | | 5 - < 25 | 20 | 4 | 9 | 33 | | 25 + | 26 | 0 | 0 | 26 | | All sawmills | 50 | 20 | 80 | 150 | | Round fencing manufacturers | 11 | 5 | 30 | 46 |

Source: industry surveys

Notes:

1. Includes non-respondents to survey in current year.
2. For large sawmills (those producing at least 25 thousand m$^3$) that did not report whether or not they held a certificate or did not respond to the 2019 survey, the certification status was obtained from the FSC database, where possible.
3. Categories are based on total sawnwood production (softwood and hardwood), in thousand m$^3$.

2.10 Woodfuel and pellets

Wood from various sources can be used for fuel, including roundwood, chips and sawdust from wood processing, specific products such as pellets and briquettes, and recycled wood.

The following pages provide data on:

- recycled wood used for woodfuel (Table 2.30 below);
- woodfuel supply by sawmills and round fencing manufacturers (Table 2.31); and
- wood pellet production (Table 2.32) and feedstock (Table 2.33).

In addition, estimates of roundwood used directly for woodfuel are provided in tables 2.5 and 2.6. 2.10.1 Recycled wood used for woodfuel

Estimates of recycled wood used for woodfuel have been obtained from the Wood Recyclers' Association. In 2019, it is estimated that around 2.4 million tonnes of recycled wood were used for woodfuel, an increase of 14% from the 2018 estimate of around 2.1 million tonnes.

Table 2.30 Recycled wood used for woodfuel(^1), 2010-2019

| Year | Total | |------|--------| | 2010 | 0.55 | | 2011 | 0.59 | | 2012 | 0.76 | | 2013 | 0.83 | | 2014 | 1.34 | | 2015 | 1.45 | | 2016 | 1.55 | | 2017 | 1.66 | | 2018 | 2.10 | | 2019 | 2.39 |

Source: Wood Recyclers Association

Notes:

1. Post consumer recovered wood, comprising wood originally grown in the UK and wood originally grown in forests outside the UK.
2. Figures from 2014 relate to capacity, rather than consumption.
3. Quantities are as delivered, with an assumed average moisture content of 25%. To convert to green tonnes (assuming moisture content of 52%), multiply by 1.56.

These figures are outside the scope of National Statistics. 2.10.2 Woodfuel supply by sawmills and round fencing manufacturers

An estimated 752 thousand green tonnes (mainly softwood) of woodfuel were supplied by sawmills in 2019 and a further 77 thousand green tonnes were supplied by round fencing manufacturers (Table 2.31). Around two thirds (69%) of the total woodfuel supplied was sold to bioenergy.

Table 2.31 Woodfuel supply(^1) by sawmills and round fencing manufacturers, 2015-2019

| | Sales to bioenergy | Sales as firewood | Used internally for heat/energy | Total | |------------------|--------------------|-------------------|---------------------------------|--------| | **Sawmills** | | | | | | 2015 | 612 | 12 | 45 | 669 | | 2016 | 581 | 14 | 65 | 660 | | 2017 | 620 | 15 | 96 | 731 | | 2018 | 633 | 7 | 152 | 792 | | 2019 | 528 | 17 | 206 | 752 | | **Round fencing manufacturers** | | | | | | 2015 | 51 | 7 | 2 | 60 | | 2016 | 57 | 7 | 1 | 65 | | 2017 | 55 | 7 | 3 | 66 | | 2018 | 52 | 8 | 4 | 65 | | 2019 | 43 | 10 | 25 | 77 |

Source: Sawmill Survey, Survey of Round Fencing Manufacturers Notes:

1. Material reported as sales/use for woodfuel but may have been used for other purposes. 2.10.3 Wood pellets

Wood pellets and briquettes are processed wood products that can be made from roundwood, sawmill products and/or recycled wood. Some of the wood used to make wood pellets and briquettes will be accounted for elsewhere in this release (e.g. in Tables 2.30 and 2.31). Wood pellets and briquettes are often used for woodfuel, but pellets may also be used for other purposes (such as horse bedding or cat litter).

A total of 298 thousand tonnes of wood pellets and briquettes are estimated to have been produced in the UK in 2019. This represents a 7% increase from the 2018 estimate of 279 thousand tonnes.

Table 2.32 Wood pellet production, 2010-2019

| Year | Total | |------|--------| | 2010 | 197 | | 2011 | 244 | | 2012 | 278 | | 2013 | 301 | | 2014 | 354 | | 2015 | 343 | | 2016 | 329 | | 2017 | 287 | | 2018 | 279 | | 2019 | 298 |

Source: Survey of UK Pellet and Briquette Production A total of 570 thousand tonnes of feedstock was used to produce wood pellets in the UK in 2019, a 16% decrease from the total for 2018 (Table 2.33).

The overall decrease in feedstock reflects a change in the composition of pellets. Roundwood fell by 32% in the latest year and accounted for over one half (54%) of the feedstock in 2019 (down from 67% in 2018). Correspondingly, there was a 16% increase in sawmill products and other feedstock.

Table 2.33 Wood pellet feedstock, 2015-2019

| Year | Roundwood | Sawmill products¹ | Total | |------|-----------|-------------------|-------| | 2015 | 332 | 290 | 621 | | 2016 | 377 | 320 | 697 | | 2017 | 354 | 295 | 648 | | 2018 | 453 | 226 | 679 | | 2019 | 307 | 263 | 570 |

Source: Survey of UK Pellet and Briquette Production Notes:

1. May also include wood from other sources (e.g. energy crops, arboriculture arisings and recycled wood).
2. Tonnes as delivered.